The Maelstrom Arena in The Elder Scrolls Online is a source of strife and triumph for solo players taking on the Orsinium DLC. Located in the frozen North East of the Wrothgar zone, the Maelstrom Arena, like other Arenas in the game, offers players nine progressively more difficult combat scenarios with the ultimate reward being coveted Elder Scrolls Online Maelstrom Weapons.

RELATED: The Elder Scrolls Online: Best Armor Sets For Magicka DPS

Each of the six available Maelstrom Weapons sets is attuned to a different weapon skill tree. While Maelstrom Weapons have been in the game for more than a few ESO expansions, they still see regular use in some of the top ESO builds in 2021 and are worth spending time in the arena to acquire.

How To Get The Maelstrom Weapon Sets

ESO Maelstrom Arena Location Elder Scrolls Online Wrothgar Orsinium

The first thing players must do when looking to pick up ESO Maelstrom Weapons is make sure they own the Orsinium DLC, or alternatively, are subscribed to ESO+. The Maelstrom Arena is located to the North East in the Wrothgar zone, which is inaccessible for players who don't meet these requirements. The Arena is hidden deep in the Wrothgarian Mountains to the North of Orsinium, though it's much more easily accessed by traveling to the Two Rivers Wayshrine, following the road south, and then turning eastward towards (and beyond) Nyzchaleft Falls.

The Maelstrom Arena has nine stages culminating with a final Boss for players to take on alone – this final Boss has a chance to drop Maelstrom Weapons upon defeat. When taking on the Arena, players are presented with a choice between Standard and Veteran mode. Veteran mode is of course harder than Standard mode, but the Maelstrom Weapons dropped at the end are "Perfected" and offer additional bonuses.

Merciless Charge - Two-Handed Maelstrom Weapons

ESO Maelstrom Weapons Elder Scrolls Online Wrothgar Orsinium Merciless Charge
  • Normal: Enhances Critical Charge with a damage-over-time effect
  • Perfected: Adds significant Physical Penetration, not restricted to Critical Charge
  • Includes The Maelstrom's Greatsword, The Maelstrom's Maul, and The Maelstrom's Battle Axe

The Merciless Charge set is an ESO Maelstrom set that gives two-handed weapon users a useful damage-over-time ability. As the name might suggest, Merciless Charge buffs the player's Critical Charge skill by granting it an additional 1,338 Physical damage over five seconds at CP 160. The Perfected version, only available by beating the Maelstrom Arena on Veteran, also grants 1190 Physical Penetration at CP 160.

RELATED: Elder Scrolls Online: Best Warden Builds, Ranked (For 2020)

It's weapon set that has been nerfed over the years from its original extreme (and somewhat broken) damage output, but nonetheless, it's still a great choice for PvP. Its single-target damage increase makes it a viable pick for PvE content, too, though it does see more use in the Imperial City than elsewhere.

Rampaging Slash - One-Handed and Shield Maelstrom Weapons

ESO Maelstrom Weapons Elder Scrolls Online Wrothgar Orsinium Rampaging Slash
  • Normal: Enhances Low Slash with a Heavy Attack-tied Magicka and Stamina boost
  • Perfected: Grants passive Magicka and Stamina recovery
  • Includes The Maelstrom's Sword, The Maelstrom's Mace, The Maelstrom's Axe, The Maelstrom's Dagger, and The Maelstrom's Shield

The Rampaging Slash Maelstrom Weapon set is a One-Handed and Shield set that enhances the Low Slash ability. With this set equipped, fully-charged Heavy attacks made within five seconds of a Low Slash restore an additional 1904 Magicka and Stamina at CP 160. The Perfected version, found only in Veteran mode, also adds a passive 77 Magicka and Stamina Recovery.

It's a great weapon set to wield when taking on solo content thanks to its increased resource recovery, but when it comes to tanking sets, there are better options out there in Tamriel – it hasn't been changed much since its inception.

Cruel Flurry - Dual-Wielding Maelstrom Weapons

ESO Maelstrom Weapons Elder Scrolls Online Wrothgar Orsinium Cruel Flurry
  • Normal: Enhances Flurry by granting subsequent damage-over-time abilities a boost to Weapon and Spell damage
  • Perfected: Adds an additional 103 Weapon Damage
  • Includes The Maelstrom's Sword, The Maelstrom's Mace, The Maelstrom's Axe, and The Maelstrom's Dagger

The Cruel Flurry weapon set is imbued upon many of the same weapon types as the Rampaging Slash set, though of course with different effects. Tuned for Duel-Wielding, the Cruel Flurry set enhances the Flurry ability by increasing Spell and Weapon Damage of damage-over-time skills by 1690 when cast within four seconds of Flurry. The Perfected version from the Maelstrom Arena's Veteran mode also grants 103 Weapon Damage at CP 160.

Flurry is a powerful single-target skill in the Dual-Wielding skill tree, and this set makes it more useful in a rotation that includes plenty of damage-over-time abilities, like Twin Slashes or several class-specific abilities.

Thunderous Volley - The Maelstrom's Bow

ESO Maelstrom Weapons Elder Scrolls Online Wrothgar Orsinium Thunderous Volley
  • Normal: Enhances Volley by adding extra damage per tick that increases over time
  • Perfected: Grants 526 Weapon Critical
  • Includes The Maelstrom's Bow

The ESO Maelstrom Weapons set Thunderous Volley is tied to the Bow skill tree, enhancing the Volley ability (and its more often used morph Endless Hail). This set adds 430 extra damage per tick of the ability at CP 160, increasing by 143 every tick up to eight times. The Perfected version of the set, a Veteran mode exclusive, also adds a respectable 526 Weapon Critical to the bow at CP 160.

RELATED: Elder Scrolls Online: Best Weapons For Sorcerers, Ranked

Volley is one of the most commonly used AoE abilities in a Bow-wielder's toolbox though it can be a little underwhelming when fights have the potential to end so quickly. This makes Volley (and its morphs) much more powerful, especially in longer combat situations thanks to its progressively-increasing damage bonus.

Crushing Wall - Destruction Staff Maelstrom Weapons

ESO Maelstrom Weapons Elder Scrolls Online Wrothgar Orsinium Crushing Wall
  • Normal: Enhances Wall of Elements by increasing Light and Heavy damage to enemies in its area of effect
  • Perfected: Grants 1190 Spell Penetration
  • Includes The Maelstrom's Staff (Ice, Fire, Lightning)

The Crushing Wall Maelstrom Weapons set enhances the Wall of Elements skill in the Destruction Staff weapon skill tree. The set offers a simple bonus: Light and Heavy attacks made on enemies trapped in the player's Wall of Elements deal an additional 1353 damage. The Perfected version, only found in the Arena's Veteran mode, also imbues the staff with 1190 Spell Penetration at CP 160.

Wall of Elements is a mainstay in many Destruction Staff-oriented builds, though it isn't used by all of them. This set is great for players who know how to weave their attacks and abilities effectively, and for players who use Wall of Elements already, but it has no place in a build that doesn't use this Destruction Staff-specific ability.

Precise Regeneration - The Maelstrom's Restoration Staff

ESO Maelstrom Weapons Elder Scrolls Online Wrothgar Orsinium Precise Regeneration
  • Normal: Enhances Regeneration by restoring Magicka on critical hits
  • Perfected: Adds 526 Spell Critical to the staff
  • Includes The Maelstrom's Staff

The Precise Regeneration set is a Restoration Staff set that gives healers a boost to Magicka regeneration. The set enhances the Regeneration ability by making critical hits with the ability also restore 558 Magicka to the caster at CP 160. The Perfected grants 526 Spell Critical to the player, increasing the chance that this critical-based effect will happen in the first place.

It's not necessarily the most useful healing-oriented weapon set in the game, but it's also not the most useless. Any bonus to Spell Critical is a huge boon to healers, especially those taking on Veteran content, though the fact that the Magicka recovery only procs on critical hits makes it less reliable than some other options in the game.

MORE: Elder Scrolls Online Creative Director Talks Blackwood, COVID, And The Future